cupboard. She slipped in a finger, felt along an empty space behind, and
drew out a key.

It turned easily in the cupboard lock and the two boxes stood revealed,
standing apparently just as they stood when John left them. In hot haste
Bessie dragged the treasure-box from under the other, starting at every
sound in the process, at the thud the old wooden trunk made on the floor
of the cupboard as its supporter was withdrawn, at the rustle of her own
dress. All the boldness she had shown at the 'Spotted Deer' had
vanished. She was now the mere trembling and guilty woman.

The lock on Bolderfield's box had been forced long before; it opened to
her hand. A heap of sovereigns and half-sovereigns lay on one side,
divided by a wooden partition from the few silver coins, crowns and
half-crowns, still lying on the other. She counted both the gold and
silver, losing her reckoning again and again, because of the sudden
anguish of listening that would overtake her.

Thirty-six pounds on the one side, not much more than thirty shillings
on the other. When John left it there had been fifty-one pounds in gold,
and rather more than twenty pounds in silver, most of it in half-crowns.
Ah! she knew the figures well.

Did that man who had spoken to the landlord in the public-house suspect?
How strange they had all looked! What a silly fool she had been to
change so much of the silver, instead of sticking to the gold! Yet she
had thought the gold would be noticed more.

When was old John coming back? He had written once from Frampton to say
that he was 'laid up bad with the rheumatics,' and was probably going